Thread: Pasters please weigh in

Ideally I'm looking for feedback from those who have experience honing with stones as well as honing with pastes (diamond, chrome ox, boron carbide, etc).

Here are my questions:

1. Not factoring in edge longevity, do you find that pastes can give you a perfect balance of sharpness and shaving comfort? If so, what grits to you usually use and what are the pastes applied to?
2. What do you like about pastes or what advantages to you see that they have over stones/hones?
3. What don't you like about pastes over stones/hones?
4. Are you or do you know of anyone past or present that was accomplished with hones/stones and actually abandoned them to use pastes exclusively for their razor care?
5. Do you feel using pastes is "cheating"? and if so, why?

Thanks guys.

Chris L

Yep yep yep....

I always finish my honing with 5 or seven return strokes on a flat bed leather strop covered in Chromium Oxide.

Why... because it smooths the surface of the bevel edge to virtually a mirror finish and it takes any rough edges off the cutting edge. The result is a smooth and as close and comfortable shave as I have found.
I have tried other pastes including diamond but the comfort levels were not as good.

Is it cheating? Who cares when shaving can be this good.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Yep yep yep....

Couldn't agree more Glen.

Although I do use the felt pads alot and no fuzz balls.........

Have fun,

Lynn

Yeppers Lynn I am liking that felt hanger too....


Apologies to Chris for the slight

Originally Posted by English

Is it cheating? Who cares when shaving can be this good.

I think that it's cheating but you cant argue the fact that the chromeox works! It does polish an edge. It does get an already sharp edge extremely sharp. Maybe too sharp for my face. Maybe I should back off the number of laps (I tried 10) and see if I can find a happy medium between sharpness and comfort.

Can O' Worms, eh? I'd actually like to have one of those in my basement but I haven't convinced my wife of it quite yet.

What's life without opening up some cans of worms?

For the record: These are honest questions rather than trying to stir up anything or agitate.


Chris L

Originally Posted by Chris L

Ideally I'm looking for feedback from those who have experience honing with stones as well as honing with pastes (diamond, chrome ox, boron carbide, etc).

Here are my questions:

1. Not factoring in edge longevity, do you find that pastes can give you a perfect balance of sharpness and shaving comfort?The only finishing hone I have to compare to is the Chinese 12k I bought from you, but so far, I do like the pastes better than the hone as far as comfort and sharpness. If so, what grits to you usually use and what are the pastes applied to?1.0, .50, .25 on a paddle strop. Lot's of guys say that the .25 diamond is too harsh, but I haven't seen it yet.
2. What do you like about pastes or what advantages to you see that they have over stones/hones?They are much easier to use and less punishing if you should have a bad stroke, and I have yet to "overhone" on a paste
3. What don't you like about pastes over stones/hones?So far, nothing.
4. Are you or do you know of anyone past or present that was accomplished with hones/stones and actually abandoned them to use pastes exclusively for their razor care?Nope.
5. Do you feel using pastes is "cheating"? and if so, why?No. As long as the result is a sharp, comfortable edge, whatever method you used to get there is valid, IMO.

Thanks guys.

Chris L

<Insert my standard "I'm a newb" disclaimer here>

I'm on vacation through the end of the year (November and December completely off of work.. I'm spoiled), so I've been spending *alot* of time honing. Around five hours a day, and the one thing all this honing has taught me is that I don't know anything about honing. Typically, I hone three or four razors in a day, then use each of those razors to shave with in the evening, comparing each blade to my professionally sharpened blade.

So far, the best edges I've produced have come from this process: DMT 8E, DMT 8EE, Chinese 12k, then going through each of my diamond pastes (1.0, .5, .25) and finishing with 200 laps on the bare side of the paddle strop. Invariably, this produces some *very* sharp and comfortable edges.

Going right from the Chinese 12k to the strop to shaving results in a sharp but irritating edge on the razors I've done it with so far. I'm sure that it's mostly due to user error, though.

Here's my take on the issue;

After a while honing on th films I have thought about going to an all paste setup. More just to see if it can be done from comletely dull to shave sharp. I still think I'd have to use the hone for bevel setting but I'd like to go with paste from there. Someday anyway, right now I'm happy with the edge I'm getting straight off the 1 micron film. Though Seraphim has me thinking, always a bad sign.

Someone should make sure Tony see's this thread I think he is a paste honer from way back.